Hello guys,
I'd like to address two groups: employers and employees.
The topic is education versus experience of candidates for a job.

Let me start with an example of myself, which will lead to two questions addressing employers and employees.
I'm working at a rather big company for several years.
My contract will end next year and I'm beginning to feel a bit stressful about the future,
because I'm not certain that they'll keep me... or even worse, I'm not certain that I want to continue working there.
Thing is that I do a job for which other companies usually hire people with higher education than mine.
I don't have an advanced level of education (a MSc degree), because I never had the opportunity to continue my education due to my work.
What I do have is several years of experience as a R&D engineer and a project leader which includes going through all steps from an idea to a prototype and eventually to mass production of the product.
I fear that if I stop working where I'm working now, I will have a real tough time finding a similar job.
I don't have a lot of experience with interviews and job searching because I got quite lucky getting the job I have now. So being rather young (under 30), I didn't have lots of chances to quit/get fired and look for a new job.

My questions are these:
If you're an employer, do you care more about a candidate's degrees than his experience or the other way around?
If you're an employee, do you feel that your degrees are the ones that increased your chances to get your current job or was it your experience at that time?

Please be honest and elaborate as much as you can!!!

Thanks!

Afaceinthematrix

If I am an employer and I am looking to higher someone, then to me, it honestly comes down to the interview. Their are arguments for both sides and both education and experience are important. If you can present yourself as having the more valuable attribute in the interview and you can convince me that you're the best higher then why not? Actually, I think I might prefer to higher someone with good experience but less education because if I can get them to do their job just as well, then I have the advantage because I then have a great excuse to have to pay you less. I can pay you less to do the same job and then when you bring it up, I can use the excuse that other people get paid more than you because they have more education. I've never been in that situation but I can honestly see that as being a response to a company. Maybe you're more desirable if you can do the same job with less education?

So, to me, it would come down to the interview. Be able to argue yourself as someone who is more than capable of doing the job.

As for the second question, I am declining to answer it because I do not have a degree. Ask me again this time next year and we'll talk.

Helios

Afaceinthematrix wrote:

If I am an employer and I am looking to higher someone, then to me, it honestly comes down to the interview. Their are arguments for both sides and both education and experience are important. If you can present yourself as having the more valuable attribute in the interview and you can convince me that you're the best higher then why not? Actually, I think I might prefer to higher someone with good experience but less education because if I can get them to do their job just as well, then I have the advantage because I then have a great excuse to have to pay you less. I can pay you less to do the same job and then when you bring it up, I can use the excuse that other people get paid more than you because they have more education. I've never been in that situation but I can honestly see that as being a response to a company. Maybe you're more desirable if you can do the same job with less education?

So, to me, it would come down to the interview. Be able to argue yourself as someone who is more than capable of doing the job.

As for the second question, I am declining to answer it because I do not have a degree. Ask me again this time next year and we'll talk.

Thanks for your opinion dude!
Good luck with your studies.

mengshi200

In my opinion, both education and experience are important for your career!

Now, on the one hand, the title of a technical post i have gottern is senior class cos of i have been working hard in my company equals to an associate professor in the university;on the other hand i have gottern Master degree in Tsinghua University by I kept studying. I am a senior I would like to share my real experience with you.

mengshi200

When i was young, i mean,about 18 years old i have to start to work.

However,at that time i have not any diplomas of University so i can not get high class position and had to do very basic work.Of course i felt unpleased sometimes becos most of people around me were not pay more attention to me,even a few person looked down upon me and bullied me.

I have stronge self-respect and made a decision to make great efforts to realize myself in the future.

It was said that knowledge is strength. I set up a plan for learning more knowledge,at same time to get diplomas of famous universities.Becos sometimes diploma is just like a astepping-stone to success it can show your abilities on the academic.Of course,the most important thing is you ought to utilize knowledge and turn it into wealth or

Before 30 yrs old, i tried my best to study after working almost in every weekends and holidays.These days were really boring,of course i felt very lonely sometimes.However i kept encouraging myself with tough willpower when i felt upset or giving up.

Of course i worked hard in my comany and won the boss`s appreciation gradually.Also i won many prize rewardings from society.

Everything comes to him who waits.

Gradually i grew up in my career and obtained certain achievements. More and more people began to respect me.

I got both experience in the job and well-education in the universities. Now i have my favorite career.

EnterpriseTech

Most university students take internships within the degree they are pursuing so they can gain experience along with education. And, really, the best way to learn something is to do it, which is experience.

angelg

expereince is must with education

Radar

Education demonstrates that they have potential.

Experience demonstrates that that potential can actually amount to something.

standready

Radar wrote:

Education demonstrates that they have potential.

Experience demonstrates that that potential can actually amount to something.

I like the way you said that.

As an employer, I would take some education with more experience. A piece of paper (degree) might get you in the door but can you apply it to the real world. I have seen too many that can't.
Also to think about - being over-qualified on paper.

menino

Experience or education?

Both count very much.
Experience counts as education, and education counts as knwledge and proof of one's capabilities.

My friend who used to always complain about not getting a degree (but is very smart), finally got a job due to his experience, and his boss is happy with him, because of his knowledge in the field, mainly due to his experience.
In todays world, most companies do look for education, but if you can convinve them with your experience, then that will count.
Sometimes, its what you know that counts and sometimes "who" you know.